FC Goa Rival Watch in AFC Champions League Two: Al-Nassr

Al Nassr have travelled to India without talisman Cristiano Ronaldo!

FC Goa hope to get their first win of the 2025-26 AFC Champions League Two campaign when they host Saudi Arabian giants Al-Nassr in their upcoming match at the Fatorda Stadium, Goa. This will definitely be the biggest challenge for the Gaurs in their Asian campaign, and one that is poised to attract a lot of eyes towards them as well.

Even though the Indian Super League (ISL) side is aiming to pull off a shock result against Al-Nassr, it won’t be an easy task at all. The Cristiano Ronaldo-led side has had an amazing start to the 2025-26 campaign, in which they are dominating the Saudi Pro League title race and playing some highly attractive football.

Al-Nassr are one of the biggest teams playing in the AFC Champions League Two, as we now delve into their history and key aspects below.

About the Team

Al-Nassr was created way back in 1955 by the Al-Ja’ba brothers from Saudi Arabia and the former Saudi Prince, Prince Abdul Rahman Saud al Saud, also served as the head of Al Nassr for nearly four decades! Al-Nassr were only promoted to the Saudi Pro League in 1963, but their dominance in the division began from the 1970s.

Al-Nassr won quite a few league titles in the 1970s and 1980s, but had a slight dip after the turn of the century. They have, however, started getting back to the top of Saudi Arabian football after 2010 and are currently one of the biggest teams in Asia.

Al-Nassr have won 10 Saudi Pro League titles nd five King’s Cup titles, and have two Asian trophies to boast as well. The Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund currently owns them and is one of the richest teams in Asian football, having a net worth of over €140 million in 2025!

Recent Performances

Unfortunately for FC Goa, Al-Nassr have had an incredible start to their 2025-26 season under new head coach Jorge Jesus. The Saudi Pro League giants have won both their matches in the AFC Champions League Two so far, scoring seven goals in the period and not conceding a single goal!

Not only that, but Al-Nassr have also won all five Saudi Pro League matches at the beginning of the 2025-26 league campaign. They have scored a whopping 19 goals in the league so far, having a +17 goal difference and absolutely dominating their opponents.

Al-Nassr are on a seven-match winning streak, in which they have scored 32 goals! This includes their wins over Al-Zawraa and Istiklol in the AFC Champions League Two, as well as big wins over Al-Ittihad and Al-Fateh in the league.

The Coach

Jorge Jesus took over as the Al-Nassr head coach before the beginning of the 2025-26 season and has already made an amazing impact. Al-Nassr have won nine of their 10 matches under him so far, showing the kind of amazing impact made by the Portuguese gaffer.

The 71-year-old is a highly experienced manager who has had coaching stints at 18 different clubs, including his current one at Al-Nassr. He has over 35 years of coaching experience and his most prolific period came as the Benfica head coach, helping the Portuguese giants win three Primeira Liga and three Taca da Liga titles!

Jesus also won league titles as the Flamengo boss (also guiding them to the Copa Libertadores) and he also guided Al Hilal to the 2023-24 Saudi Pro League title.

Jorge Jesus encourages an exciting attacking style as he mostly prefers a 4-2-3-1 formation at Al-Nassr. He likes his players to be direct and quick with their attacking movement, using the wide areas to create chances and flooding the box with multiple players to torment the opposition. Al-Nassr have scored 37 goals in 10 matches under Jesus so far, showing the kind of ruthlessness he encourages with his attacking style and how well they have adapted to his tactics.

Also Read: FC Goa vs Al Nassr Preview, prediction, lineups, betting tips & odds | AFC Champions League Two 2025-26

Players to Watch

Joao Felix

Joao Felix joined Al-Nassr in the 2025 summer transfer window and has turned into a fabulous signing for the Saudi giants. He has scored 11 goals in 1 appearances for his side so far, which includes one in two AFC Champions League Two matches.

Felix seems to have perfectly adapted to life in Jorge Jesus’ side, as he’s excelling in the second striker or occasionally as the centre-forward for Al-Nassr. Felix will look to be a thorn for the FC Goa players with his proactiveness in the attacking areas and use his clever trickery to torment the defenders.

He’ll look to use his slick movement and dribbling qualities to dance past players, but will be particularly determined to be ruthless in the final third to finish off chances and guide his side to a big win.

Sadio Mane

Sadio Mane is still going strong at the age of 33 and has started the 2025-26 campaign strongly for his side. The former Liverpool winger appears to be really enjoying himself in Jorge Jesus’s playing style and has had a thrilling start to the new campaign as well.

He has had nine goal contributions (four goals, five assists) in nien games so far, which includes two contributions in two AFC Champions League Two matches. Mane will be looking to continue his impressive form with a thunderous performance against Goa. He’ll look to use his speed and driving ability to soar past the defenders, before providing clever passes into the final third for his teammates and also put away chances efficiently.

What to expect?

FC Goa can expect a really gruelling game against Al-Nassr because of the current form of the Saudi giants. Al-Nassr might not be bringing Cristiano Ronaldo to the Fatorda Stadium for this game, but they still have a strong enough unit that can cause major problems for the Gaurs.

Al-Nassr are likely to dominate the majority of the possession and pour a lot of bodies into the final third to help create chances. They are going to test the sturdiness of the ISL side’s defensive shape with constant attacking moves, especially using their speedy and tricky wingers to get into promising positions to set up chances.

FC Goa will need to produce some kind of a herculean effort to keep out this ruthless Al-Nassr unit, even if they park the bus. This should be a very entertaining match with a lot of chances and action-packed moments on display, but Al-Nassr are likely to get a compelling win unless the FC Goa backline is able to produce the best performance of their lives.

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